Submission—Strategic Examination of Research and Development

On 16 April 2025, the Academy made a submission to the Australian Government’s Strategic Examination of Research and Development (R&D).

Download submission (PDF, 800KB)

The Academy recommends the advancement of radical ideas to create a new national R&D system model.

We offer a model in the body of this submission:

• Introduce a business R&D investment incentive that applies to businesses with annual revenue of $100 million or more.
• Set a national target for lifting R&D investment to levels competitive with peer nations and adopt a phased plan to achieve it, including new funding models such as a business R&D investment incentive.
• Rebuild Australia’s investment in fundamental research to ensure a strong foundation for innovation and long-term national problem-solving.
• Change Commonwealth and State procurement policies to incentivise domestic R&D through a scaled-up Small Business Research Investment Incentive.
• Implement the principles of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science through national policy settings that mandate open access to publications, promote FAIR data standards, and support inclusive knowledge sharing.
• Establish a national metascience capability to evaluate and improve the performance, efficiency, and public value of Australia’s research system.
• Urgently develop a framework to guide Australia’s approach to international research collaboration to provide strategy, clarity and purpose to international engagement.
• Diversify and support our international science collaborations to serve Australia’s long-term and strategic needs by committing to participation in international collaborative research alliances such as the Belmont Forum and Horizon Europe.
• Implement policy measures to strengthen Australia’s science diplomacy architecture through mechanisms such as the Global Science and Diplomacy Fund and growing Australia’s network of overseas science counsellors.
• Develop a ‘raise, train, attract and sustain’ workforce strategy to grow and embed STEM skills across the R&D system.
• Develop a long-term national strategy and roadmap to build national High-Performance Computing and Data capacity. The Academy proposes an investment of $200 million a year over 10 years to support sector planning, deliver upgrades to current facilities and drive coordination and co-investment in a Tier-0 facility.
• Develop an AI investment plan to build national AI capability across the R&D system, including in fundamental AI science.

More information

Read the media release. 

Read the issues paper and fact sheet.